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"Antonescu" redirects here. For other persons with that surname, see Antonescu (surname). Antonescu is a common family name in Romania. Persons named Antonescu include Ion Antonescu, prime minister and conducător (Leader of
Ion Victor Antonescu
Ion Antonescu

Ion Antonescu, minutes before his execution
In office
September 4, 1940 – August 23, 1944
Preceded by Ion Gigurtu
Succeeded by Constantin Sănătescu
Conducător of Romania
In office
September 4, 1940 – August 23, 1944
Preceded by none
Succeeded by none
Born June 15, 1882
Piteşti, Romania
Died June 1, 1946
Jilava, Romania
Nationality Romanian
Political party none, formally allied with the Iron Guard
Spouse Raşela Mendel (div. The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ion Gigurtu (1886 Turnu Severin -1959 was a Romanian politician who served a brief term as Prime Minister of Romania in 1940 (from 4 July to Constantin Sănătescu ( January 14, 1885, Craiova &mdash November 8 1947, Bucharest) was a Romanian statesman Conducător (literally in Romanian, "Leader" was the title used officially in three instances by Romanian politicians Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Piteşti (/pi'teʃtʲ/ is a city in Romania, located on the Argeş River. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Jilava is a commune in Ilfov county, Romania, near Bucharest. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given in English to a Far-right ultra- nationalist Antisemitic, fascist movement and political party )
Maria Antonescu
Profession soldier
Religion Romanian Orthodox
Military service
Rank Field Marshal

Ion Victor Antonescu (June 15, 1882, Piteşti – June 1, 1946, near Jilava) was the prime minister and conducător (Leader) of Romania during World War II from September 4, 1940 to August 23, 1944. The Romanian Orthodox Church ( Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is a Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Piteşti (/pi'teʃtʲ/ is a city in Romania, located on the Argeş River. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Jilava is a commune in Ilfov county, Romania, near Bucharest. Conducător (literally in Romanian, "Leader" was the title used officially in three instances by Romanian politicians Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Contents

Early life and military career

Antonescu was born into an upper-middle class family with some military tradition. He attended military schools in Craiova and Iaşi, and graduated from the Cavalry School as top of class in 1904, then, in 1911, from the military academy. Craiova (kraˈjova the fifth largest Romanian city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Iaşi (pronunciation in Romanian: /jaʃʲ/ or Jassy, is a city and municipality in north-eastern Romania.

As lieutenant, Antonescu took part in the repression of the 1907 peasants' revolt in and around the city of Galaţi. The 1907 Romanian Peasants' Revolt took place in March 1907 in Moldavia and it quickly spread reaching Wallachia. Galaţi (gaˈlaʦʲ Kalas Galatz Gałacz is a city in eastern Romania ( Moldavia) the capital city of Galaţi County on the banks of the Danube His ruthlessness gained him the name Câinele roşu (the red dog). In 1913, he fought in the Second Balkan War against Bulgaria; the Bulgarian army was already deployed against Serbia and Greece, so Romania's entering the war led to Bulgaria suing for peace. The Second Balkan War was fought in 1913 between Bulgaria on one side and its First Balkan War allies Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Following the 1913 war (which brought the Cadrilater into Romania), Antonescu received Romania's highest military decoration: The Order of Michael the Brave (Romanian: Ordinul Mihai Viteazul). Southern Dobruja ( Южна Добруджа Yuzhna Dobrudzha in Bulgarian, Dobrogea de sud or Cadrilater in Romanian)

During Romania's involvement in World War I (1916-1918), Antonescu acted as chief of staff for General Constantin Prezan. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Constantin Prezan ( January 27, 1861 Butimanu Dâmboviţa County &ndash August 27, 1943) was a In August 1916, Romanian armies crossed the Carpathian Mountains, attempting to take Transylvania (then a territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but mainly inhabited by Romanians), but their offensive was later stopped by the Austro-Hungarian armies, with German help. The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The disaster at Turtucaia (August 24) showed that the Romanian army was not ready for the war. The Battle of Turtucaia or Battle of Tutrakan (Битка при Тутракан also referred to as the Tutrakan Epopee (Тутраканска епопея Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River With German and Bulgarian troops pushing through Dobruja and with demoralised Allied Russian troops retreating and deserting en masse in the wake of Brusilov Offensive (their orders were to defend the Danube line), the Romanian Army was forced to retreat from Transylvania and defend the Carpathian borders. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Brusilov Offensive (Брусиловский прорыв was the Russian Empire 's greatest feat of arms during World War I, and among the Most lethal The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj

Upon enemy troops crossing the mountains into the Old Kingdom, Antonescu was ordered to design a defense plan for the Romanian capital of Bucharest. This article is about the region in what is now Southern Romania Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucureşti) is the Capital city, industrial and commercial centre of Romania. The battle for the capital was lost, due to the capture by enemy troops of an officer carrying the battle plan. The Romanian royal court, army and administration were forced to retreat into Moldavia. Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians Antonescu participated in the defense of Moldavia in 1917, when the Romanian Army, instructed by the French Mission, and led by General Alexandru Averescu managed to stop the advance of the German Army headed by Field Marshal Mackensen. Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians The Land Forces, Air Force and Naval Forces are collectively known as the Romanian Armed Forces ( Romanian: Forţele Armate Române This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Alexandru Averescu ( &mdash October 2 1938 was a Romanian marshal and populist politician Anton Ludwig August von Mackensen (December 6 1849 &ndash November 8 1945 born August Mackensen, was a German soldier and field marshal. He was both observer and coordinator for the Battle of Mărăşti-Oituz. The Battle of Mărăşti was one of the main battles to take place on Romanian soil in World War I.

However, in late 1917 the Russian revolution took place. See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them Soviet Russia soon made peace with Germany, leaving Romania the only enemy of the Central Powers on the Eastern Front. The Central Powers ( German: "Mittelmächte" Hungarian: "Központi hatalmak" Turkish: "İttifak The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and primarily Eastern Europe. In these conditions, the Romanian government signed, and the parliament ratified the Treaty of Bucharest, 1918 with Germany and her allies. The Treaty of Bucharest was a Peace treaty which the German Empire forced Romania to sign on May 7, 1918, following In 1918, however, Romania broke the treaty, on the grounds that the King, Ferdinand I of Romania, did not sign the treaty. Ferdinand I ( 24 August 1865 – 20 July 1927) was the King of the Romanians from October 10 1914 until his death Re-entering the war with a re-organized army, Romania was able to support the decisions of the National Romanian Council which ultimately result in the Union of Transylvania with Romania. Union of Transylvania with Romania was declared on. The national holiday of Romania, the Union Day (also called Unification Upon reaching the river Tisa, King Ferdinand took his own decoration and gave it to lieutenant-colonel Antonescu saying: "Antonescu, no one in this country knows better than the King how much they owe you. "Tisa" redirects here For other uses see Tisa (disambiguation and Tisza (disambiguation. "

Between 1922 and 1926 he was a military attaché of Romania in France and Great Britain. A military attaché is a Military Expert who is part of a Diplomatic mission; this post is normally filled by a high-ranking officer See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands After returning to Romania, he was the commander of the "Şcoala Superioară de Război" (Higher School of War) between 1927 and 1930, Chief of the General Staff between 1933 and 1934, and Defense Minister between 1937 and 1938.

Political power

Main article: Romania during World War II

Rise to power

General Antonescu was appointed Prime Minister by King Carol II on September 4, 1940, after Romania was forced to surrender Bessarabia and northern Bukovina to the USSR (June 28, 1940) and the northern half of Transylvania to Hungary (August 30, 1940), and three days before the Cadrilater was transferred to Bulgaria (September 7, 1940). In June 1941 after a brief period of nominal neutrality under King Carol, Romania joined the Axis Powers. Carol II of Romania ( 15 October / 16 October 1893 &ndash 4 April 1953) reigned as King of Romania from June 8 Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian Bukovina (Bucovina Буковина/ Bukovyna; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) is a historical region on the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Southern Dobruja ( Южна Добруджа Yuzhna Dobrudzha in Bulgarian, Dobrogea de sud or Cadrilater in Romanian) The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On September 5, following Antonescu's demand, King Carol suspended the Constitution of 1938, dissolved Parliament, and gave Antonescu full powers. The 1938 Constitution of Romania was the fundamental law that established the authoritarian monarchic regime of King Carol II. The Parliament of Romania is made up of two chambers The Chamber of Deputies The Senate Prior to That evening, he forced King Carol to abdicate and leave the country, which he did on September 6. Carol's son, Crown Prince Michael (Mihai), was proclaimed the new King, although his powers were essentially ceremonial duties such as supreme Head of the Army. Michael King of the Romanians, Prince of Hohenzollern (born October 25, 1921) reigned as King of the Romanians (Maiestatea Antonescu named himself Conducător (Leader) and assumed dictatorial powers.

After the traditional, democratic, parties of Romania refused to send competent members into the Government, Antonescu approached the Nationalist Iron Guard party and offered them seats in the Government (September 15, 1940). The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given in English to a Far-right ultra- nationalist Antisemitic, fascist movement and political party Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Antonescu desired to bring the Iron Guard under his direct control, because their paramilitary activities were undermining the authority of the state. The ensuing period was known as the 'National Legionary State' (Statul naţional-legionar). The National Legionary State (Statul Naţional Legionar was the Romanian government of September 6, 1940 — January 23, 1941. Eventually, after their demands for extended powers were repeatedly turned down by Antonescu, the Iron Guard rebelled (January 21, 1941). The Legionnaires' rebellion and the Bucharest pogrom occurred in Bucharest, Romania, between the 21 January and 23 January, 1941. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Antonescu quickly crushed the rebellion (with the consent of Germany, whose economic and military interests demanded stability in Romania), outlawed the Iron Guard and had their top leaders imprisoned or expelled from the country.

Alliance with Germany

Antonescu formed an alliance with Nazi Germany, thereby ensuring stability and strategic material, such as the extensive Romanian oil reserves, could be used by the Axis Powers. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Oil reserves are the estimated quantities of Crude oil that are claimed to be recoverable under existing Economic and operating conditions Further, Antonescu was delighted with the prospect of war against the USSR, because of his hatred of Bolshevism, and hoped this would guarantee the reconquest of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian Bukovina (Bucovina Буковина/ Bukovyna; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) is a historical region on the Also, by participating in the war on the Eastern front, Antonescu hoped to persuade Hitler to give back the northern half of Transylvania to Romania after the hostilities were over. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian He was informed by Hitler himself about Operation Barbarossa ten days before its launch. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II

Romanian troops joined the German Wehrmacht in their attack against the Soviet Union (June 22, 1941) and reoccupied the lost territories of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian Bukovina (Bucovina Буковина/ Bukovyna; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) is a historical region on the For retaking these territories, he was later made Mareşal. The province of Transnistria also came under Romanian administration. Transnistria, during World War II, was a region of the USSR, occupied by Romania, during the maximum eastward expansion of the Axis Powers Soon after the capture of the city of Odessa, the Romanian headquarters were blown up, supposedly by communists hiding amongst the civilian population. ODESSA which stands for the German phrase O rganisation d er e hemaligen SS - A ngehörigen which in turn translates Antonescu ordered retaliation, which culminated in the Odessa Massacre. The Odessa massacre was the extermination of Jews in Odessa and surrounding towns in Transnistria during the autumn of 1941 and the winter of 1942 in

After the recapture of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, Antonescu took the Romanian army deeper into Soviet territory, determined to follow the German troops until the complete destruction of the Soviet army (as he stated during his trial: "When a country is in a war, the army of this country must go to the end of the earth to win the war. It's one of the basic principles of war, that has been applied from the time of the Romans to this very day. Search into the history of wars, any nation, any century, and you will see that no one stops with the army at the borders, but goes farther, aiming to destroy the enemy army. So did Scipio Africanus who took his army to the destruction of Carthage, so did Napoleon, who went to the center of Russia, so did Alexander of Russia, who went all the way to Paris. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major ( Latin: P·CORNELIVS·P·F·L·N·SCIPIO·AFRICANVS ¹) (236&ndash183 Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Alexander I of Russia ( Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich (23 December 1777 – November 19 1825 served as Emperor of ").

This decision was met with disapproval both by Romanian politicians (of the traditional parties) and by the Allied powers. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Although Antonescu devoted most of his time to military affairs he failed to prepare the Romanian army for the protracted campaign. To satisfy Hitler, Antonescu sent to the front entire divisions with limited weaponry; Germans armed them only prior to combat. After German and Romanian armies suffered huge losses in the Battle of Stalingrad and the Soviets started to regain their territory, Antonescu's popularity declined sharply. The Battle of Stalingrad is a commonly used name in English sources for several large operations by Germany and its allies and Soviet forces conducted with the

Fall

In 1943, representatives of Antonescu (members of the traditional parties) twice approached representatives of the United States and Great Britain (in Cairo and Istanbul) asking for separate peace, but the Allies demanded that Antonescu make peace with the Soviets first. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Antonescu refused unconditional surrender to the Soviets, but continued negotiating with them through his representatives in Stockholm. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the In August 1944, when the Soviets had already entered Romanian territory, Antonescu received an armistice proposal from Alexandra Kollontai (Stalin's agent in Stockholm). Alexandra Mikhailovna Kollontai (Алекса́ндра Миха́йловна Коллонта́й &mdash born Domontovich, Домонто́вич ( - March 9, [1] This armistice proposed that German armies had 15 days to leave the country, the Soviets would only pass through the north of the country (the south and the capital were to remain Soviet-free), and offered recognition of Romanian claims to Hungarian-occupied Northern Transylvania. Northern Transylvania is a region of Transylvania, situated within the territory of Romania. Considering the overwhelming superiority of the Soviet forces, this seemingly generous offer was interpreted as either allowing the Soviet troops to maintain its push against the German army or as a bluff.

On August 22, 1944 Soviet armies attacked the Iaşi-Chişinău-Cetatea Albă line, determined to occupy the Romanian capital before any armistice could be signed. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Iaşi (pronunciation in Romanian: /jaʃʲ/ or Jassy, is a city and municipality in north-eastern Romania. Chişinău (kiʃi'nəw (also known as Kishinev, Кишинёв Kishinyov) is the capital and largest city of Moldova. "Akkerman" redirects here For other uses see Akkerman (disambiguation. Antonescu had prepared 9 elite divisions at the Focşani-Nămoloasa-Galaţi line which he hoped could hold out against the Soviets for several weeks until the treaty's approval by both parties. Focşani (/fok'ʃanʲ/ Fokschan Foksány is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the shores the Milcov river. Nămoloasa is a commune in Galaţi County, in the Moldavia region of Romania. Galaţi (gaˈlaʦʲ Kalas Galatz Gałacz is a city in eastern Romania ( Moldavia) the capital city of Galaţi County on the banks of the Danube The telegram from Stockholm arrived on August 22, but was intercepted by opposition leader Iuliu Maniu, who was plotting together with King Michael, other opposition members from the historical parties, and even the Romanian Communist Party, to overthrow Antonescu's regime. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Iuliu Maniu ( January 8, 1873 &mdash February 5, 1953) was an Romanian politician The Romanian Communist Party ( Romanian: ro Partidul Comunist Român, PCR was a communist political party in Romania.

On August 23, 1944, Michael invited Antonescu to his Royal Palace. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After Antonescu had explained the situation on the warfront, the king asked him if he would sign unconditional surrender to the Russians. Antonescu told the young king about the armistice he was about to sign, although he had no proof (such as the telegram). He also stated that "signing unconditional surrender to the Russians is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute". The King dismissed Antonescu and his cabinet. At the same time, soldiers rushed in and arrested Ion Antonescu and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Antonescu, then locked them up in the Palace safe. Mihai Antonescu ( November 18, 1904 &ndash June 1, 1946) was a Romanian politician who served as Later, they were taken by a group of communists, led by Emil Bodnăraş, who took them to a safe house, before handing them over to the Soviets. Emil Bodnăraş (1904&ndash January 24, 1976) was an influential Romanian Communist politician an army officer, and a Soviet

At the same time, King Mihai declared a ceasefire on the Romanian side. In absence of an armistice, the Soviet continued to consider Romanians as enemies. The Soviets broke the frontline and took prisoner 114,000 Romanian soldiers. The Germans did not recognize the authority of the new Sănătescu Government and attacked the capital. Constantin Sănătescu ( January 14, 1885, Craiova &mdash November 8 1947, Bucharest) was a Romanian statesman The Romanian army however managed to hold on to it. A few days later, the Soviets entered Bucharest. The armistice was signed only on September 12, 1944. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Death and legacy

Ion Antonescu during his trial.
Ion Antonescu during his trial.

Condemnation and death

After returning from the Soviet Union on April 9, 1946, Antonescu was interrogated the following month by the Bucharest People's Tribunal and found guilty of betraying the Romanian people for the benefits of Nazi Germany, the economic and political subjugation of Romania to Germany, cooperation with the Iron Guard, the murder of his political opponents, the mass murder of civilians and crimes against peace, and for participation in the German invasion of the USSR. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Interrogation or questioning is Interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the Police and Military. The Romanian People's Tribunals ( Romanian: Tribunalele Poporului) the Bucharest People's Tribunal and the Northern Transylvania People's Tribunal Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers A crime against peace, in International law, refers to "planning preparation initiation or waging of wars of aggression, or a war in violation of international He was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad on June 1 at Jilava prison. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Jilava is a commune in Ilfov county, Romania, near Bucharest. He asked to be shot by a military firing squad, but instead he was executed by prison guards.

Antonescu and the Holocaust

See also: Romania during World War II#Romania and the Holocaust

Antonescu and his government were directly responsible for the killing of between 280,000 and 380,000 Jews and over 10,000 Roma in Romania and the Soviet territories it occupied. In June 1941 after a brief period of nominal neutrality under King Carol, Romania joined the Axis Powers. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Romania's share in the Holocaust, i. e. its contribution as an independent, not occupied country, is thus the second biggest after that of Nazi Germany (see Deletant, p. 127). Despite ample evidence, for a long time these genocidal crimes and Antonescu's responsibility were denied not only by revisionist historians, but also at an official level. However, in 2004 the Romanian government under Ion Iliescu officially acknowledged the Romanian and Antonescu's responsibility, as outlined in a report produced by an expert commission appointed by Iliescu and led by Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel. Ion Iliescu (born March 3, 1930) is a Romanian politician He was the elected President of Romania for eleven years (three terms from 1990 The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Elie Wiesel (born Eliezer Wiesel on September 30 1928 in Sighetu Marmaţiei, Romania) is a Jewish writer professor political activist A Holocaust Memorial Day was installed.

Immediately after coming into office, Antonescu expanded the anti-Jewish laws passed by Ion Gigurtu. Ion Gigurtu (1886 Turnu Severin -1959 was a Romanian politician who served a brief term as Prime Minister of Romania in 1940 (from 4 July to During 1941 and 1942, 80 anti-Jewish regulations were passed. Starting at the end of October, 1940, the Iron Guard began a massive anti-Semitic campaign, torturing and beating Jews and looting their shops, culminating in the failed coup and a pogrom in Bucharest in which 120 Jews were massacred. A pogrom is a form of Riot directed against a particular group whether ethnic religious or other and characterized by destruction of their Homes Businesses Aided by German troops, Antonescu suppressed the rebellion, and thus, indirectly, the violence against the Jews. In the course of 1941 Antonescu's own violence against the Jewish population was to take a more systematic course, reaching its peak when Romania entered the "holy war" against the Soviet Union, a war that he considered, like Hitler, to have a metaphysical and apocalyptic character; the Jews were considered the demonic driving force behind the greatest enemy Romania ever faced - Bolshevism. This connection between the Jews, Bolshevism and the attack on the Soviet Union is apparent in declarations he made in summer 1941:

'The Satan is the Jew. It is a battle of life and death. Either we win and the world will be purified, either they win (the Jews) and we will become their slaves" (to the Council of the Ministers). "I confirm that I will pursue operations in the east to the end against that great enemy of civilization, of Europe, and of my country: Russian bolshevism [. . . ] I will not be swayed by anyone not to extend this military cooperation into new territory. ' (Deletant, p. 85)

This ideology explains the subsequent atrocities ordered by Antonescu, of which the Iaşi pogrom was the first. The Iaşi pogrom of June 27 1941 was the second most violent Pogrom in Jewish history after Baby Yar, launched by governmental forces Here, over 10,000 Jews were killed in July 1941. In the same year, following the advancing Romanian Army and reports of alleged attacks by Jewish "Resistance groups", Antonescu ordered the deportation to Transnistria of Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina (between 80,000 and 150,000) who were considered, falsely, "Communist agents" by the Romanian administration. Transnistria, during World War II, was a region of the USSR, occupied by Romania, during the maximum eastward expansion of the Axis Powers These deportations took place by means of so-called "trains of death", which were specifically designed to let as few survivors as possible reach their destinations - labor camps set up in Transnistria where many more Jews were to die under appalling circumstances. Further killings perpetrated by Antonescu's soldiers targeted the Jewish population that the Romanian army managed to round up during the occupation of Transnistria. Over 100,000 of these were killed in massacres perpetrated in Odessa, Bogdanovka and Akmecetka in 1941 and 1942. The Odessa massacre was the extermination of Jews in Odessa and surrounding towns in Transnistria during the autumn of 1941 and the winter of 1942 in Bogdanovka was an Concentration camp for Jews that was established by the Romanian authorities during World War II as part of the Holocaust Some of this killing operations were seconded by SS units of the Einsatzgruppe D.

Despite German pressure, in 1943 Antonescu halted deportations to Transnistria and cancelled plans to deport the entire Jewish population from the remaining parts of the country to the death camps in German occupied Poland. This is not evidence that he recanted his anti-Semitism, but only that he began to realise that the war is lost and that he needed to find means to reconcile with the Allies. At the same time he levied heavy taxes and forced labor on the remaining Jewish communities. In fact, Antonescu never gave up his ultra-nationalist policy of ethnic cleansing. As he himself put it, his aim was a 'policy of purification of the Romanian race, and I will not give way before any obstacle in achieving this historical goal of our nation. If we do not take advantage of the situation which presents itself today . . . we shall miss the last chance that history offers to us. And I do not wish to miss it, because if I do so further generations will blame me’ (Deletant, p. 155). With the turn of the war, he only changed the method of implementation, offering the Allies the emigration of the Romanian Jews in return for currency.

This policy of ethnic cleansing also explains why about 25,000 Roma (approximately 11,500 nomadic and 13,000 non-nomadic Romas) were deported to Transnistria where an estimated 11,000 perished. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that These deportations were presented as a "solution" to maintain safety in the country while most of the men were at the frontline.

Antonescu's stepmother, Frida Cuperman, was Jewish, as was his first wife, Raşela Mendel, whom he married as a military attaché in London in the 1930s

2007 Court decision and 2008 nullification

On December 5, 2006, the Bucharest Court of Appeals overturned Antonescu's conviction for certain crimes against peace, on the grounds that the objective conditions of 1940 justified a preventive war against the Soviet Union, so that article 3 of the 1933 Convention defining aggression does not apply to his case. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [2] This decision was however overturned by the Romanian supreme court in May 2008. The High Court of Cassation and Justice (Înalta Curte de Casaţie şi Justiţie is Romania 's Supreme court. [3]

Notes

  1. ^ Miruna Munteanu, "A vrut Antonescu sa negocieze cu rusii?", Ziua, August 19, 2006
  2. ^ "Războiul anti-URSS a fost legitim" ("The War against the USSR was Legitimate", Ziua, 20 February 2007. Ziua ( The Day in Romanian) is a major Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Ziua ( The Day in Romanian) is a major Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  3. ^ "Reabilitarea numelui mareşalului Antonescu, respinsă" ("The rehabilitation of the name of marshall Antonescu, denied",Mediafax,06 May 2008. Mediafax is a Romanian media company headquartered in Bucharest and founded in 1991 Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

References

External links

Preceded by
Ion Gigurtu		 Prime Minister of Romania
1940 September 4 – 1944 August 23		 Succeeded by
Constantin Sănătescu



Persondata
NAME Antonescu, Ion Victor
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION prime minister and conducător (Leader) of Romania during World War II
DATE OF BIRTH June 15, 1882
PLACE OF BIRTH Piteşti, Romania
DATE OF DEATH June 1, 1946
PLACE OF DEATH Jilava, Romania

Ion Gigurtu (1886 Turnu Severin -1959 was a Romanian politician who served a brief term as Prime Minister of Romania in 1940 (from 4 July to The Prime Minister of Romania is the head of the Government of Romania. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Constantin Sănătescu ( January 14, 1885, Craiova &mdash November 8 1947, Bucharest) was a Romanian statesman Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Piteşti (/pi'teʃtʲ/ is a city in Romania, located on the Argeş River. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Jilava is a commune in Ilfov county, Romania, near Bucharest. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania
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